My Echo, My Shadow
by Shadowgeist1204
Summary: When unicorn Echoing Shadow takes over the orphanage she lives in from the abuse of its insane owners, she frees the rest of the foals. Soon, very soon, the orphanage will be discovered, and the children within it just may finally be rescued, along with the powerful pony that freed them all...
1. Prologue

Out in the shadow of Canterlot in Equestria, surrounded in mystery, lies an orphanage.

This orphanage doesn't look like a normal orphanage in the slightest. The building itself looks abandoned. Not a sound issues forth from the black stone walls of the building. All the little orphaned foals are locked inside the building, hiding and cowering in fear and silence.

But it's not the outside world that frightens these poor young ponies. In truth, these foals would like nothing more than to leave this cruel orphanage. Why, you may ask? The answer is simple: the owners of this orphanage are completely and utterly _insane_.

I know what you're thinking: why in all of Equestria would there be such an orphanage going completely unnoticed? Well, like I said, the foals here are locked inside; they are forbidden from leaving the orphanage. And Echoing Shadow is one of the most hated of all the little ponies in this orphanage. She's a teen unicorn with a dark indigo coat and a midnight blue mane and tail. Her eyes are a purplish-silver hue; her cutie mark is a black candle, with a small flame that's the same color as her eyes. All the young ponies wear a thick cloth to cover their cutie marks; hers is dark blue, a few shades lighter than her mane.

Echo never knew how she came to be there, of all places. She never even knew where or _who_ her parents were. All she knows is that she's been there as long as she can remember. She's spent her entire life under the evil ponies that own the place: Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice. Velvet Tear is an ocean blue Pegasus with a darker blue mane and tail; her eyes are a sickly poison-green and she has a teardrop for a cutie mark that's the same color. Crimson Ice is a pure white Pegasus with a dark red mane and tail; his eyes are blood red and he has a bright red snowflake for a cutie mark. The one thing those two Pegasi had in common was that their eyes were always bloodshot, screaming with hatred.

Scars cover all of the bodies of the young ones from punishments they are told that they deserve. They are punished cruelly for the pettiest reasons, some of which are hardly considered misdoings. During these punishment rituals, one of the owners comes at the targeted foal with a knife, a whip, or a switch. And there were many punishing weapons in the basement of the building. Most of which were whips, and branches that were acquired from the surrounding forests used as switches. The owners also drank a good deal, and each always carried a switchblade with which to harass the children.

But all the young fillies and colts had was Echo for a role model. She was the most mature out of all the little ponies. Unlike the owners, she had a good heart, and cared deeply for all the young ones like any mother could. She tirelessly practiced her magic under the cover of night. Her magic was especially powerful at night, and was an all-around kind of magic.

But, despite living not far from Canterlot, the ponies, owners and orphans alike, live totally cut off from the world. They know nothing of the Elements of Harmony, the ponies that wield them, the return of Princess Luna, or anything that happens in Equestria. However, it will only be a matter of time before the Nightmare Orphanage, and the scarred ponies within it, are discovered; and – pray be it so – rescued.


	2. Chapter 1

Princess Twilight was reading in her castle library with Starlight Glimmer. Starlight was currently reading a novel of a legend that seemed to catch her interest. That is, until Spike rushed into the library.

"Twilight! Twilight!" he called frantically, waving his little talons around wildly. One of which was holding a small scroll that still had the faint smell of smoke lingering on it.

"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked, still absorbed in her own book on transportation spells.

"I've got a message from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!" the little dragon replied nervously. "It says to get your friends over to the castle A.S.A.P. They'll probably need to hear about this."

Twilight's head snapped up at the mention of the princesses' names. "Say no more, Spike. Starlight, help me gather up the others." Her new student stood up and nodded, knowing the matter must've been serious. Twilight used her magic to get Spike onto her back as Starlight put away the two books. With all said and done, the two mares and young dragon rushed out of the castle to round up the other wielders of the Elements of Harmony.

Once everyone was gathered in the great hall of Twilight's Castle, Spike handed the scroll to Twilight to read it. Picking it up with her magic, the Princess of Friendship read the scroll aloud.

 _"Dear Twilight and Friends,_

 _I'm very sorry to bring this up to you on such short notice, but we've discovered a troubling issue. Every night, something seems to reverberate through Canterlot's streets. Many of Luna's soldiers have reported of maniacal laughing, screams of pain, and several other sounds that give the notion that something cruel is happening. Unfortunately, Luna and I are unable to investigate anywhere outside of Canterlot._

 _Not only are there threatening sounds heard at night, but also a strange, ominous song that echoes through the shadows. It unnerves ponies that stay up late during my sister's time, but it doesn't seem to pose a threat. In fact, it sounds as if somepony is longing for help. Please, can you and your friends help find out the cause of all these strange noises at night? I fear that it's something that only the Elements of Harmony can do away with, should it get... difficult for you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Celestia_

 _P.S. There is a legend that sounds much like what's currently happening near Canterlot. It gives a sense as to what is happening. It is called_ _Nightmare Orphanage_ _. ~Luna."_

"My word," Rarity shuddered, appalled by the message, "a regular _ghost story_ in _Canterlot_ , of all places?"

"Actually," Starlight spoke up, "I'm reading the book Princess Luna's talking about. Nightmare Orphanage is about an orphanage with mentally ill owners that tortured orphaned ponies instead of caring for them. The little ones were locked inside, forbidden from leaving the building, which was in the middle of nowhere to begin with. All that escaped the walls were the agonized screams of the little ones, the laughter of the owners, and the sounds of the weapons as they collided with their victims. The thing with the song is new, though."

All the ponies (and dragon) gaped in horror at the summary of the story. None of them could imagine little ponies being tormented in such a style. "It's settled then," Twilight stomped down, breaking the silence. "We're going to find the source of what's causing those noises in Canterlot. We're probably going to need you, Starlight. I've actually never gotten along with that legend; I thought it wasn't real. But this one mission might change everything; after all, some legends we've heard of have well turned out to be true. Spike, send a message to Celestia that we accept her mission. Get ready, everypony, 'cause tonight we're going to Canterlot."

"Right," the others replied simultaneously.

* * *

(Meanwhile…)

Echo was racing through the halls, trying not to drop the precious food that was in a bag slung across her streaked back. She was also trying to be absolutely silent, so as not to disturb Crimson Ice or Velvet Tear, who were both taking their afternoon nap. She _had_ to get the food to the other orphans, who were just as emaciated as she was. If she managed to get there without trouble, she'd be fine.

 _Figures those two demons-masquerading-as-Pegasi would refuse to feed us,_ the unicorn thought bitterly. _But soon, it'll all be over; tonight will be the night. We_ will _leave this accursed place and the demons who own it. We_ will _be free._

She was cut out of her train of thought when Hemlock Berry came into view. The little blank-flank unicorn with her unmistakable red coat, forest green mane and tail, and dark eyes brought a surge of relief to the indigo unicorn. She slowed down to meet up with the filly, showing her success in getting food.

"Thank you, Echo," Hemlock whispered happily, leading her older-sister figure to the largest room where all the foals were gathered. They all silently cheered that the oldest orphan managed to get the food for everyone. The food was evenly distributed to the young ones, and they all ate their fair share, thankful that food had been acquired at all.

Once everypony was finished eating, they all gathered in a semicircle around Echo, who was sitting by the gap in the wall that passed for a window. It was their nightly routine to listen to Echo as she sang the song that fit her name so well.*

" _Hello, hello;_ _anypony out there? Cause I don't hear a sound_ _  
_ _Alone, alone_ _;_ _I don't really know where the world is but I miss it now_

 _I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_ _like a foal at the top of my lungs_ _  
_ _Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright_ _but it's never enough_

 _Cause my echo, echo, is the only voice coming back_ _  
_ _Shadow, shadow,_ _is the only friend that I have._

 _Listen, listen; I would take a whisper if that's all you had to give._ _  
_ _But it isn't, is it?_ _You could come and save me and try to chase the crazy right out of my head_

 _I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_ _like a foal at the top of my lungs._ _  
_ _Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright,_ _but it's never enough._

 _Cause my echo, echo,_ _is the only voice coming back;_ _  
_ _Shadow, shadow,_ _is the only friend that I have._

 _I don't wanna be an island_ _;_ _I just wanna feel alive, and_ _get to see your face again._

 _I don't wanna be an island_ _;_ _I just wanna feel alive, and_ _get to see your face again._

 _But 'til then …_ _  
_ _Just my echo, my shadow;_ _you're my only friend and_

 _I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name like a foal at the top of my lungs._ _  
_ _Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright,_ _but it's never enough._

 _Cause my echo, echo…_ _  
_ _Oh my shadow, shadow…_

 _Hello, hello_ _;_ _anypony out there?"_

The little ponies were soothed by the beautiful voice of Echoing Shadow. The melody's indirect call for help echoed through the nearby city, the way it did every night.

" **We told you already to shut your muzzle!"** two strong, cruel, slightly slurring voices rang out from the hallway. Everypony froze; the little ones' eyes were wide with terror, Echo's eyes narrowed as she stalked to the front of the group. Her horn was pointed to the entrance while she stood in front of the group protectively. She did so with good reason, too, as Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice were both at the door, each holding a weapon. Velvet Tear held a long whip; Crimson Ice held the longest switch they had. They were clearly intoxicated, judging by their bloodshot eyes and voices; Echo could even smell traces of the fermented drinks they obviously had earlier.

"Looks like you still need to be taught a lesson," Crimson snarled. "All right, you worthless foals, get out to the courtyard! You then will see what happens to those who dare anger us for too long." Without a word, all the orphans walked out to the courtyard of the building.

"Did you remember the berries and blowpipes, Hemlock?" Echo asked in a whisper, too quiet for the owners to hear. The filly in question nodded once. "Good, because tonight's the night _it_ happens. I'm glad you could get all those poison hemlock berries; we may need them."

Once they were all in the courtyard, the little ones formed a circle around Echo and the owners. Velvet made the first attack, lashing across Echo's body and legs with her long whip; the unicorn cried out in pain. Crimson rushed in, knocking the victim about the head and front with the switch. Echo took the beating, waiting for the right time. She waited, crying out in pain, letting her power build, until she felt it click.

Her eyes blazed as her horn lit up as if it were ghost fire. She used her magic to set both weapons on fire as Hemlock handed each of the fillies and colts a small blowgun and a pouch of poison hemlock berries. Velvet and Crimson shot into the air and dove toward the unicorn in blind fury.

Big mistake.

Echo tilted her head, aiming her horn at the pair. Pouring every bit of her magic into her spell, she fired a beam of magic at the Pegasi. The beam got both of them in the chest, striking them out of the sky. They fell to the ground, getting shot in the jaw as the young ones made use of the poison berries. Whether it was the berries and/or the blast, their bodies fell to the ground, lifeless. Echo was glad that the two were finally gone, but then her vision began to spin.

Twilight and her friends were wandering through the moonlit streets of Canterlot. They suddenly heard snaps of a whip, and distinct cries in pain coming from the forests surrounding the royal city. Without a second thought, all of them rushed to where the sound was coming from. They were guided by a strange beam of light that shot up from a clearing in the forest. Once there, they all saw a huge circle of little ponies, the bodies of two Pegasi off to the side, and an indigo unicorn in the midst of the group; all gathered in front of a black stone building.

Starlight Glimmer staggered when the unicorn in the middle glanced at them with agonized, hazy eyes. The stranger was starting to stagger, and the visitors rushed up only to be met by a small group of the little ones, each armed with a loaded blowgun. The starved unicorn collapsed to her side, much to the fright of the little ones. The last thing that rang through the darkness that night was dozens of young voices crying out one simultaneous word:

" **ECHO!"**

* * *

*The original song is "Echo" by Jason Walker. If you don't know the melody, you can search it up. I just touched it up to make it sound more "Equestrian."


	3. Chapter 2

As the sun slowly rose, Twilight and the others were awestruck at the state all the orphans were in. Their hides were badly blemished; the unicorn in the center, worst of all. It was also hard to believe that they were all armed in such a manner without even knowing the Princess of Friendship and her friends. However, they _did_ seem very protective of the unconscious unicorn, judging by the fact that they were ready to shoot. A small, dark gray earth pony filly walked out of the orphan group and stood between the little ones and the visitors. Her mane and tail were pure white, and her eyes were light green. A black cloth hid her cutie mark from view.

"Don't hurt these grown-ups, everyone," she stated. "It's clear that none of them want to hurt us. If they did, they would've done so, already. These are the first ponies we met outside the orphanage. Maybe they can help Echo and the rest of us. Please, Hemlock, let them help us." The red filly by the unicorn labeled as "Echo" glared at the small pony.

"Why should we trust them, Silent Sound?" the filly growled, dark eyes blazing. "We've already been betrayed by Velvet tear and Crimson Ice. What if all grown-up ponies are the same way? I, Hemlock Berry, will never subject any of us to that again, as Echo would, without a doubt." Hemlock's words helped Starlight realize why the orphans were so hostile: they didn't want to find themselves in the same scenario that they just escaped. She stepped up beside the filly called "Silent Sound."

"You don't need to worry about going through that again," Starlight declared. "We were sent here by the Princesses Celestia and Luna themselves to investigate what was happening here. We want to help you, and protect you from feeling this kind of pain again. You won't need those cloths to hide your flanks, anymore. With the Princess of Friendship and the Elements of Harmony, I promise you." Hemlock's horn glowed dark blue as her orbs seared with rage.

"You lie to all of us! We've never heard of this 'Princess of Friendship' or these 'Elements of Harmony.' In fact, none of us have heard of any princesses in our entire lives. All we ever had was Echo as a leader. She's the oldest orphan here, and would sacrifice her safety night after night to give us as much food as she could carry. We'll stay beside Echoing Shadow to the **bitter end!** " She fired a beam within a foot of the visitors that grew into a huge hemlock tree that captured the grown-up ponies in its large branches. A small light flashed from Hemlock's flank, catching her attention. She turned to look, being met with a picture of a sprig of hemlock with a small cluster of berries. Her eyes widened at seeing her cutie mark, causing her magic to cease and release the tree's prisoners.

A white convoy in the sky, coming from Canterlot, got everyone's attention. The little ones grew tense, blowguns at the ready. The group was of several armored, white male Pegasi, led by a majestic white Alicorn in a golden chariot. Stepping out of the chariot upon landing, the Alicorn looked over the group of armed, scarred, orphans, the bodies of the Pegasi off to the side, and the unconscious unicorn at the center. Twilight and the others looked quite relieved at their arrival.

"It appears that you little fillies and colts wish to protect your fallen friend," the Alicorn assumed. "Though I'm quite surprised that you don't know who I am: Princess Celestia. Can any of you explain why?" Silent Sound looked up at the pure white female with the multicolored mane and tail.

"We've never been allowed to go too far from the orphanage," she elaborated, pointing her hoof at the building. "Some tried to escape, but were caught and never seen again. We were also never allowed to show our cutie marks, so we had to wear cloths to hide them. Please excuse everypony else's behavior, miss; especially Hemlock Berry. We don't want to cause any trouble for you; we're only worried about our leader, Echoing Shadow, who collapsed after fighting off Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice. I'm Silent Sound, by the way." Celestia looked down at the small filly, smiling softly. Using her magic, she removed the black cloth on her flank, exposing the white dove of her cutie mark. She then gave Silent a kind pat on the head.

"Thank you for telling me of this atrocity, Silent Sound. It's quite clear that you stand for peace, despite having gone through so much. You can trust us with taking care of your poor friend. You needn't worry; we'll never do her nor any of you any harm. In fact, we can bring all of you to places where you will be truly cared for and loved, and will be given the life that the owners of this orphanage clearly denied you." The sun princess' voice soothed even the pained heart of little Hemlock, who finally backed down. The orphans put down the blowguns and pouches, taking off the cloths that hid their marks. They cleared a path for Celestia to approach the starved, indigo unicorn. Once again, she removed the cloth with her magic, showing Echo's cutie mark, seeming to smile in approval as she saw it. She carefully picked up the limp, battered unicorn, bringing her to the chariot and carefully setting her down. She then climbed back into the chariot and left back for Canterlot to seek help.

* * *

Luna waited on a castle balcony, anxious for her sister to return. She ached to know what caused the sounds that would echo through the posh city every night. When the familiar colors of Celestia's mane came into view, the moon princess let out a relieved sigh. She leaped off the balcony and glided down to the courtyard to meet up with her big sister.

"Was there any trouble, sister?" the dark blue Alicorn inquired, her voice slightly touched with worry. Celestia looked down softly at Luna.

"No, Luna, nothing too troublesome occurred. There was, in fact, a large group of scarred, little orphaned ponies who were trying to protect their leader, Echoing Shadow, who collapsed after doing away with the cruel owners of the orphanage." she pointed a wing at the chariot. "Beaten, starved, unconscious, and yet still alive; the leader is in there." Luna approached the chariot, gasping as she saw the battle-scared, malnourished, horribly wounded form of the young unicorn called Echoing Shadow. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, and her ribcage protruded visibly from her chest.

"It would be our best interest to bring her to be healed," Luna suggested. "This one did her fellow orphans well, having gotten rid of the demonic ponies that did this to her and the other children."

* * *

The moon princess watched out the window of the hospital room she was in. The orphans had been brought to good orphanages all over Equestria, where they knew they'd be well cared for. However, Silent Sound and Hemlock Berry refused to leave Canterlot until their leader recovered. It was long after nightfall, and Luna was watching the starry night.

Only a yard from the window, safely tucked into the hospital bed, slept the indigo unicorn. She was cleaned up and her fresh wounds had been dressed with salve; but the older ones would never lose the blemish. Her breathing and heartbeat was steady, and she slept soundly in the bed's warmth. She would recuperate in due time, but she remained unconscious at the moment.

Luna turned from the window to look at the poor patient. Her eyes softened and she smiled slightly at Echo's peaceful expression, accented by the moonlight and shadows. Her midnight blue mane was combed out behind her head on the comfortable pillows. Luna quietly walked over to Echo, softly brushing at Echo's forelock with a careful hoof. She then rested her chin on her other foreleg, remaining close to Echo's side.

"Sleep well, Echoing Shadow," Luna whispered, nuzzling Echo's cheek gently. "Please wake up soon."


	4. Chapter 3

Echo couldn't make out where she was or what happened to her after she passed out. She felt herself lying on something that was very warm and comforting. Her hazy eyes slowly opened to be met with a white room. The curtains to the room were closed, and the lights were dimmed. Her forelegs were covered in white bandages. A dark blue pony with wings and a horn was looking down at her, softly stroking her mane.

"Good," the pony murmured. "You're awake."

"How... long..." Echo rasped, trailing off. Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. The majestic mare smiled softly and picked up a glass of water that had a straw with her magic, bringing it over to Echo. The moment the straw reached her lips, the parched unicorn drank the cool, refreshing water. The water cleared her head and soothed her throat. "How long have I been asleep?" Echo repeated.

"You have been unconscious for six days," a new voice emerged. At the door to the dimmed room was a white pony similar to the navy blue one: they each had wings and a horn. "I am Princess Celestia," the white mare introduced herself.

"And I am her sister: Princess Luna," the blue one added. Echo cocked her head at the princesses.

"But where am I? Where are the other orphans? What do you want with me?" Echo asked them in rapid-fire, suddenly growing scared of the two Alicorns. "If you two want to hurt me as much as Velvet and Crimson, you've got another thing coming. I _will not_ let anyone hurt me again after all these years." She struggled to get out of bed, but Luna carefully held her down.

"You're at the Canterlot Hospital," Luna answered softly. "The orphans you saved have been taken to good orphanages where they will be cared for. We don't want anything with you; my sister and I merely wish for you to recover from your ordeal, not hurt you. Two of the orphans have also been waiting for you to awaken." Celestia turned to the doorway.

"You can come out now, you two." At the voice of the elder princess, two fillies walked in from just outside the room. Echo easily recognized Hemlock and Silent as they galloped over to her in glee, straight into her embrace.

"Oh Hemlock, Silent," She breathed. "Thank goodness you're safe."

"We were so worried about you, Echo," Hemlock told her. "When you collapsed, we thought you were done for." Silent nodded.

"Thank goodness; what a relief," she grinned. The princesses watched them, both smiling warmly at Echo's motherly nature. It was no wonder that the orphans cared for her so much.

"Well, I'm awake now," Echo replied with a chuckle. "And you don't have to worry about me. In fact, I was worried about you and the others."

After a few months, Echo was well enough to leave Canterlot. Every night during that time, she would sing her song for the city. When she was able to walk, she was supposedly followed by ghosts as she sang. Luna grew exceptionally close to her, even teaching Echo her own songs of the night.

Sadly, no one knew who or where Echo's family could be, and there were no records for the orphans back at the Nightmare Orphanage. As Echo had hoped, Celestia informed her whenever one of the orphans found a good family. And, thankfully, Echo was old enough to take care of herself in Equestria.

Celestia would always watch the unicorn with a keen eye. She was always very intrigued with the cutie mark that Echo had, which was confusing to the indigo unicorn. The sun princess, for some odd reason, would never say why she was so interested. Luna as just as clueless as Echo as to why Celestia was so intrigued by just her cutie mark. After all, it was just a small lit candle; is that supposed to _mean_ some kind of big, important destiny or something?

"It would be in your best interest to go to Ponyville," Luna suggested when it was time for Echo to leave. "My sister's former student and fellow Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, lives there with her group of friends. We were planning on sending Hemlock Berry and Silent Sound to the orphanage there either way. There are good ponies there; I've seen it myself. And with the orphans you rescued, the story of you, and all orphans involved, is spreading like wildfire." Echo nodded in response, with the two fillies on either side.

"But be careful, you three," Celestia warned. "According to the intel of our Changeling ally, Thorax, their former ruler, Queen Chrysalis, is still alive and at large. We know not of where she could be or who she may be disguised as, and that's what worries all of us."

"I understand, princess," Echo replied. "You've already told us that these Changelings are now friends instead of enemies, except for one. We'll be careful around Ponyville and meet up with Twilight Sparkle and her friends." With that, the trio bowed to the princesses and left for the train station to Ponyville.

"Wow," Silent awed as they reached their destination. "That castle over there is really pretty." Echo followed her gaze to the enormous crystal structure in the middle of town, bearing striking resemblance to a tree.

"It certainly is beautiful, Silent," she smiled. "And that's also where Twilight Sparkle and her group might be." She was about to say more, but a hot pink bolt of lighting practically flew toward the three of them, tackling Echo, Silent, and Hemlock simultaneously.

"Did you say Twilight? I know Twilight! I'm one of her best friends! I've never seen you guys around here. Well, except for when I saw all three of you about three months ago. But that must've felt like a long long long long time ago and you never really got to meet all of us. You probably never got to meet any of us here in Ponyville, so I'll introduce you three to everyone here starting with ME! I'm Pinkie Pie, what are your names?"

"I'm Echoing Shadow," the oldest one strained out, as Pinkie's hoof was on her ribs. "This is Hemlock Berry and Silent Sound. Uh, can you get off me please?"

"Geez, Pinkie Pie," a new voice emerged, "you really need to break that bad habit of tackling newcomers." Pinkie looked up and backed off Echo and the younger orphans, seeing a bold turquoise pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. A pastel yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail softly hovered beside her.

"Sorry, Rainbow," Pinkie apologized quickly, jumping off of Echo and her companions. "But it's just that I remember these three from the incident at that super-duper-scary orphanage we had to investigate not too long ago. Don't you two remember that?" The yellow pegasus silently landed, helping Echo get back on her feet.

"I sure remember you," the pegasus stated shyly. "I'm Fluttershy, and the blue one's Rainbow Dash. It must've been awful being starved and constantly injured in such a horrible manner. Even now, it's very clear that you never had enough to eat." Echo timidly rubbed her hoof on the ground.

"Unfortunately, yes," Echo spoke up. "According to the doctors in Canterlot, my body's never going to fill out completely. And most of the scars I have are never going to smooth over anytime soon. But that's not important at the moment. Hemlock and Silent have to go to the Ponyville orphanage, and I have to see Princess Twilight; on the orders of Princess Luna and Celestia." The two pegasi and the earth pony nodded in understanding.

"We're good friends of Twilight," Fluttershy told them. "We can take you there after you drop off your fellow orphans." Echo smiled warmly at the pegasus' kind, sweet nature, and agreed to her suggestion.

After Echo said goodbye to Hemlock Berry and Silent Sound, she followed Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash to Princess Twilight's castle. Sure enough, when Echo knocked on the huge double doors, she and the other mares were greeted by a purple dragon and a pale purple unicorn.

"It's you," the unicorn breathed, meeting Echo's lavender eyes. The darker-colored pony cocked her head, causing the paler one to snap out of her daze. "I-I mean, I'm Starlight. Starlight Glimmer. This is Spike; please come in." The ponies nodded and entered the beautiful castle, following Starlight and Spike wherever they were going. Except for Pinkie Pie; as soon as she was finished showing the way to Twilight's castle, she took off to Sugarcube Corner to plan a "Welcome-to-Ponyville" party, as explained by Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"I'm sure Twilight would love the idea of meeting you," Spike chirped. "We already heard about how you totally took out the owners of that crazy orphanage. I wouldn't be surprised if you had just as much magic as Twilight!" Echo's ears flattened as she blushed slightly in embarrassment. Soon, they came up to the castle library, which confused Echo slightly.

"I hope you don't mind the mess," Starlight warned. "The princess is a bit of a bookworm, and has been studying like crazy ever since we discovered you and the little ones. And if you ask me, she should seriously let up on it and clean up after herself."

" **I heard that!** " A female voice snapped from inside. Starlight shook her head with a slight sigh as she showed them inside. Sure enough, books were scattered all over the floor. Fluttershy and Rainbow flew over it and Spike hopped on Starlight's back; she and Echo had to tiptoe around the maze of paper and book covers. Once at the center, the small group reached a purple alicorn at a reading desk, with her muzzle buried in the pages.

"Um..." Echo halted in her tracks. "I'm Echoing Shadow. If you're Twilight Sparkle, the princesses wanted me to see you." The alicorn's head shot upward.

"Yes, that would be me," Twilight replied. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna gave me a heads-up that you'd be coming. Now, let's get down to business." She stopped and looked down at the floor, chuckling in embarrassment. "Or perhaps it can wait until after we clean up this mess."


	5. Chapter 4

"So, Princess Twilight," the dark-colored unicorn asked once they finished cleaning up. "Why exactly did I have to come here? In case you don't already know, the orphans and I have all lived so cut off from the world; we didn't even know that you, your friends, or even the princesses _existed_."

"We're all well aware of that," Twilight replied. "That little darling of yours, Silent Sound, told us all about it and why. I'm guessing her cutie mark means peace, because not only did she and Starlight try to stop any potential fight, but Celestia said it herself. Of course, you were out for the count at the time, so don't feel bad that you can't remember. And you can just call me Twilight, Echoing Shadow." Echo smiled softly.

"Thanks, Twilight; you can just call me Echo. By the way, Celestia and Luna said something about creatures called Changelings. I think they said something about being allied with one and having a problem with another."

"Oh yeah," Spike piped up. "We're allied with their new leader, Thorax; he's a good friend of mine. But yeah, we still have issues with their ex-Queen, Chrysalis." He took into account the scars that littered Echo's body. "But what about you? Just how long have you been dealing with... well, you know what."

"Oh, I know alright," Echo sighed, tossing her mane. "I've had to deal with Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice for as long as I can remember. The younger orphans only had me for a motherly figure. Sometimes, the beatings were so bad, I wouldn't be able to stay conscious for long after the punishment was over. Those nights were oftentimes spent recovering from my injuries. Even so, I would always make sure to give the other orphans as much food as I could carry." Echo's explanation was interrupted by her grumbling stomach.

"Sounds like you could use some lunch," Rainbow remarked as Echo looked down at her hooves. "And if we know Pinkie Pie, she might be just about done with her welcome to Ponyville party for you, if that was what he ran off for."

"You've got a point, Rainbow," Twilight grinned. "Pinkie almost _always_ throws a party when someone new comes to Ponyville."

"She was the one who tackled me, Hemlock, and Silent at the train station," Echo notified to the princess, looking up. "Is that normal for her?"

"She rarely ever does anything different if you mention the name of one of us," Fluttershy explained.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Spike grinned, hopping onto Twilight's back. "Let's get to Sugarcube Corner and par~tay!"

* * *

"Hi everypony!" shouted Pinkie Pie at every citizen of Ponyville who came to the party. Echo, Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Starlight, and Spike came walking in, with the indigo unicorn holding her head down shyly. "If any of you heard a certain story from the orphans, we are here now to celebrate the coming of the pony who freed them all: Echoing Shadow!" All the ponies in the room went silent and stared at the pony in question, awestruck by the marks on Echo's hide and her overall emaciated appearance.

"Um... Hello there," Echo greeted quietly. "Please, you can just call me Echo. Uh... how many of you even heard the tale from the orphans anyway?" Almost everypony in the room raised a hoof. "Wow, uh... That's quite a lot of you. Now don't treat me like I'm some sort of living nightmare or anything like that. I'm just a mare who cared enough about her fellow orphans to free them from the... mistreatment of the owners of the orphanage in which we lived."

"Oh, not to worry, darling," a classy voice spoke up as a dark blue fur-lined cape floated over and fastened over Echo's body. A white unicorn mare with a curled purple mane and tail trotted forward. "This cape I made especially for you should help you feel more comfortable in the room. I chose the same shade of blue as the cloth you once wore before coming here. If you ask me, that shade of ultramarine compliments your mane and coat _perfectly._ " Echo smiled at the kind unicorn, who Twilight and her friends seemed to know.

"Thank you," Echo smiled softly, "you're very kind, um..."

"Rarity, darling," the unicorn nodded politely. "And you're quite welcome. It's simply what I do."

"Now for the candles on the cake!" squealed Pinkie Pie. She pointed a hoof towards a large cake with an array of candles on the top. "And dn't worry, just for safety measures, no pranks are in the cake." Echo cautiously approached the desert, taking in a deep breath. With one good blow, she blew out the candles... until they lit up again. Echo tried it again; same result. She looked over at Pinkie, raising a brow as the pink mare was holding in a laughing fit. "I said no pranks are _in_ the cake!" Pinkie laughed. "I never said anything about no pranks _on_ the cake!" Echo rolled her eyes and used her magic to remove the re-lighting candles. Twilight went into the kitchen and came out with a bucket of water, into which Echo dropped the still-sputtering candles.

"Classic Pinkie Pie," Twilight sighed as she put the bucket back in the kitchen.

"I guess you're not all that fond of party pranks, are you?" Rainbow frowned at the tall unicorn.

"Not really," replied Echo.

"Oh well," Pinkie shrugged. "To each their own, I guess. Anyway, let's bring the party outside! I bet everypony needs some fresh air!" Sounds of agreement reverberated through the crowd. With a grin, Pinkie Pie led all the party guests outdoors and into the center of town.

* * *

A suspicious-looking mare with a dark brown coat and a dark gray mane and tail looked up from the newspaper she was reading. She saw the parade of ponies coming through, with Twilight and Echo straggling on the side. The mare's eyes narrowed as she waited... and waited... and waited for the two to come close enough. Once the two were practically in front of the mare, she struck.

It happened almost too fast to be comprehended. The mare jumped off the bench and was surrounded by green flames for a split second. She turned into a very tall alicorn mare with holes littering her jet-black hide. Her translucent wings started buzzing as she grabbed Echo and Twilight with her acid-green magic. In seconds, both captured ponies were locked in capsules of green crystal-like material. Everypony else could only helplessly watch as the black mare took off into the sky, captives floating beside her, and was gone.


	6. Chapter 5

"That _brute_!" cried Rarity as she stroked Echo's cape, which fell off in the attack. The remaining wielders of the Elements of Harmony, as well as Starlight and Spike, were gathered in Twilight's castle. "This is satin silk lined with faux fur! Why must that Chrysalis go on and attack us in such a style?!"

"Chrysalis even kidnapped Twilight and Echo!" Spike panicked, running around the room in a frenzy. "Oh man, Hemlock and Silent and the other orphans will be _furious_ if they find out! What'll we do?! What'll we do?! What'll we do?! What'll we -" Spike stopped as Applejack stuck her hoof in his mouth.

"Simmer down, sugarcube," the earth pony admonished. "Now it's pretty plain to see that the orphans who Echoing Shadow protected care about her a lot. And I bet I know as much as you do how most of them will react to this predicament. But we need to keep our heads and work together in order to rescue Echo and Twilight." Spike nodded in agreement, and Applejack let him go.

"But first, we need to tell the princesses what happened," Starlight added. "They might help us by telling the other Changelings what happened. Only the other Changelings know Chrisalis well enough to have a clue where she is."

"Coming right up," Spike saluted, rushing into another room. In seconds, he came back with a scroll and quill, ready for writing.

"Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna," Starlight began. "We regret to inform you that something terrible has happened: Princess Twilight and Echoing Shadow have been kidnapped by Queen Chrysalis."

"And during _my_ Welcome to Ponyville party, no less!" Pinkie snarled.

"Anyway, we need as much help as we can get to rescue Twilight and Echo," Applejack continued.

"If you can tell the other Changelings about what happened, that would be appreciated," Fluttershy concluded. "Sincerely from all of us." Spike wrote down everything that was said - and put Pinkie's interruption in parentheses - before sending it off in a jade green flame. Barely a few minutes later...

 ** _Knock! Knock! Knock!_**

"That was fast," Starlight remarked. She went up to the door and answered whoever was knocking. She opened the door to see two dark blue Bat ponies from the Lunar Guard, guilded in dark purple armor with an blue cat's eye in the center of each of their collars.

"We came as soon as we were sent here," the older of the two notified. "I'm Requiem, and this is my little brother Nocturne. The kidnapping of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Echoing Shadow is most troubling to the other Princesses. We were sent here personally by Princess Luna."

"She has grown quite fond of Echoing Shadow, as far as we've seen," Nocturne added. "And we have been ordered to aid you in your rescue mission. Princess Celestia has sent one of her own guards to alert the Changelings of Queen Chrysalis' return."

* * *

"Sir! Sir!" an orange Changeling guard with ruby eyes shouted as it raced up to King Thorax, with a white, gold-armored Pegasus running beside him.

"What? What is it, Beetle?" Thorax asked, turning to the guard and the strange Pegasus.

"Urgent news from Princess Celestia," the white stallion spoke. "Queen Chrysalis has made herself known once again. She has kidnapped Princess Twilight, along with a unicorn mare who goes by the name Echoing Shadow. According to what is known about her, Echoing Shadow has freed a large number of orphan ponies from the owners of an abusive orphanage three short months ago. And it appears that a few of said orphans are some of your own."

"I remember the little ones telling us that. In that case, we owe it to this Echoing Shadow to rescue her and our ally, Princess Twilight, from the mandibles of our former queen," Thorax concurred. "Send Changelings to scour every corner of Equestria. Any trace of Chrysalis' presence must be reported to the hive immediately. And you, Equestrian guard, return to your ruler, and tell her that we will do what we can to help." The white Pegasus bowed politely to the King Changeling and flew off. At the same time, Beetle rushed away to gather the soldiers.

* * *

Echo slowly opened her eyes. She found herself looking into the face of the mare who kidnapped her, her surroundings tinted green. The black mare was flying in front of her, upside-down - or was it that Echo was upside-down herself? Probably the latter. She felt like she was floating in liquid, but she could still breathe. Even so, she felt weak and exhausted, like her strength was being drained away, little by little. Echo looked to the side to see Twilight in a capsule like her own. Twilight floated limply in the liquid, eyes closed as if she were sleeping.

"Isn't this just wonderful," the mare in front of her purred. "I have the Princess of Friendship, filled with love for all of her friends, fellow princesses, and countless other ponies. And on top of that, I have the motherly unicorn who saved an army of little ones from a demonic orphanage. Why, given what I've heard of your ability, you - Echoing Shadow - might well be royalty among the rare Bat ponies of Equestria. Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Queen Chrysalis. Consuming the love that you too hold all by yourselves should easily satisfy my _ravenous_ hunger for it. Don't bother escaping, dear; my chrysalides and the liquid within them drain the love you have within you, and as a price, you grow weaker with every moment you're inside them."

Chrysalis opened her mouth wide, exposing her snake-like tongue and blade-sharp fangs. Pink mist came out of Echo and Twilight's bodies and the chrysalides holding them. That mist entered the black Changeling's mouth, as if she was inhaling the stuff. Echo felt her energy falling away. She instinctively fought with all her remaining strength. The enemy closed her mouth for a second.

"Why do you resist, Echoing Shadow?" Chrysalis asked coolly. "Just give in; I promise it will be painless. Just fall asleep like your little friend." With that, Chrysalis gaped again, taking more of the pink mist. Echo continued to struggle, but she felt her body going numb and limp. Her eyes had no strength to stay open anymore, and slid shut as her consciousness collapsed. Everything faded away as Echo dropped into a deep, blank sleep without dreams.


	7. Chapter 6

Luna was pacing in the throne room, impatient and worried. Celestia was also worried, but sat on her throne watching her sister.

"How could this have happened?!" Luna ranted. "As if that thorn in our flank hasn't done enough damage already! Why did Chrysalis go and attack Ponyville and kidnap Echo and Twilight?! The orphans will not be pleased if they come to know this! They might even revolt!"

"You need to relax, Luna," the sun princess soothed her sister. "I know that it's very upsetting that Echo and Twilight have been kidnapped. But that's exactly why you sent two of your best Bat pony guards on the case. According to the guard I sent to the Changelings, Thorax and his patrols are also helping on behalf of the wingful of Changeling orphans who fled Chrysalis. They will likely figure out where their former queen has taken my student and your close friend." Luna stopped her pacing before trotting to her own throne.

"I know, sister," Luna sighed as she sat down. "But Echo has been through so much suffering already. Before we found the Nightmare Orphanage, she and the other orphans were punished and starved, night after night. I can't believe we let it happen not even knowing what was really happening!" Tears fell from Luna's eyes as she looked down at the floor. "Besides, if some of my Bat ponies are correct and Echo really is what they believe her to be, I might have to say goodbye to my own guards."

"What do you mean, Luna?" Celestia asked tenderly.

"According to some of the Bat ponies, Echoing Shadow bears an astonishing resemblance to their former queen, Glistening Shadow. The two are believed to be identical, save for the fact that Echo has no wings and doesn't look like a Bat pony. However, there is a myth among them that states that Glistening Shadow put a spell on her newborn foal with her last breath, making her child look like a normal unicorn pony. At the time, it is said that the Changelings attacked the Bat ponies, and cast the newborn Bat princess to an orphanage of demons."

"So you believe that Echo is that Bat princess, and the 'orphanage of demons' she was cast to was the Nightmare Orphanage," assumed the sun princess.

Luna nodded slowly. "If my suspicions are correct, Echoing Shadow has been captured by the one pony in Equestria that her mother was attempting to protect her from."

* * *

Chrysalis had already had her fill of love from Echo and Twilight. The two of them floated unconscious in the acid-green chrysalides. The black Changeling smiled evilly, licking her fangs.

"Since I don't have much else to do, I might as well find a way to produce my new army," Chrysalis mused to herself. "I believe that the best way to do so would be to return to my traitorous subjects and take any little ones that haven't yet changed. Yes, infiltrating the hatchery would be the best way to form my new army. That Thorax will pay for destroying my position as Queen!" She hissed out Thorax's name as if it were a taste of bitter hatred instead of love. She exited her hidden cave and took to the skies, morphing into the disguise of a female Bat pony.

Little did she know that a coating of magic was slowly breaking off of Echoing Shadow's body. Her slightly opened mouth uncovered her sharpening fangs, and a pair of bat-wings slightly unfurled over her back. Her ears became sharp and spiked, and her eyes opened a crack, revealing two lavender slits.

* * *

"Dragonfly! Damselfly! Crane Fly! Come back here!" Beetle shouted at three young Changelings as he chased them down the corridors. "You three are two fast for your own good! Why in the Hive are you so on edge today?"

"Something's going on, Beetle!" Dragonfly called back. True to his name, Dragonfly was one of the fastest young Changelings, bearing the red skin, golden yellow wings, and orange eyes of a flame skimmer.

"We think Chrysalis is coming!" his sister Damselfly added. Her jade green skin blended into the halls as her sky blue wings buzzed to keep up with her older brother. Her pale purple eyes were narrowed with determination.

"Don't you remember?" the youngest sister, Crane Fly, asked. "We told you that Luna Moth sensed something bad was going to happen while you were gathering the troops. You know she's almost never wrong." The greenish-yellow little one with the green and white striped wings slowed to Beetle's side. Her bright orange orbs met Beetle's eyes with fierce determination.

"Yes, I'm aware of Luna Moth's intuition," Beetle agreed. "But why are we heading for the -?" It finally dawned on the Changeling guard. "- the hatchery. You little ones might be onto something. If Chrysalis wants to rebuild an army, she might go after the eggs that are almost at hatching time."

"Exactly," Dragonfly confirmed. "So pick up the pace, you snails! We have some eggs to protect!" Beetle couldn't help but smile at the determination of the little ones as he and Crane Fly flew as fast as they could to keep up with the faster siblings.

The four Changelings stopped silently at the entrance to the hatchery. _Blast,_ Beetle scolded himself mentally. _Should've stationed a soldier here instead of leaving the hatchery unprotected._ Damselfly peered inside to see the familiar black Changeling loading eggs into a large package. She jerked back when she saw the former queen's ear twitch backwards.

"Looks like Luna Moth was right again," Damselfly whispered.

"That means we'll have to find a way to stop Chrysalis from getting away with those eggs," Beetle whispered.

"Damselfly can use the silk trap she's been working on," Crane Fly offered.

"Well, you'd better do it fast, sis," Dragonfly hissed.

Damselfly closed her eyes and concentrated. Threads barely visible to the eye began silently weaving a web over the entrance to the hatchery. They overlapped and swirled around and around, forming a strong yet invisible net. Beetle nodded in approval, seeing that the net covered the only way into and out of the hatchery. They stood back and waited patiently, listening to Chrysalis' hoofsteps. The four of them jumped back when they heard Chrysalis running to the entrance, who ran headfirst into the web.


	8. Chapter 7

Chrysalis tumbled into Damselfly's web, hissing and kicking at the netting. The trap held firm, not letting the black mare through. Seeing her chance, Damselfly used her power to make more threads that twined around and around Chrysalis' legs, wings, and muzzle. As much as the fugitive kicked and thrashed, the strong threads left her hog-tied and muzzled. The former queen was wide-eyed with surprise and fury that she was caught.

By a group of young ones, no less.

"It's over, Chrysalis!" Beetle spoke up. "This little trio gave me a heads-up that you were coming. In case you didn't realize, these little ones are certainly fast for their age; both in flight and at wit."

"Let's take her to the King," Crane Fly suggested. "King Thorax ought to know that Chrysalis has been caught."

Dragonfly nodded eagerly. "I'm sure that we can get some answers out of you sooner than later," he remarked, jabbing Chrysalis' nose with his dragonfly wing. The black Changeling only huffed in distaste through the strong threads around her muzzle.

* * *

"I'm impressed," Thorax commended Beetle and the children. He eyed the former queen, who was firmly chained down in a dungeon cell. To be safe, hardened Changeling slime was all over the black mare's horn, disabling her magic. "You little ones just saved us a patrol and half the eggs in the hatchery. You're actions clearly stated that you have mastered the difficult silk trap. Now that we have the enemy under wraps, we can more easily find and rescue her captives."

"I'll never tell _any_ of you where I put my captives!" Chrysalis hissed. "You traitors should all know _that_ much!"

"We do," Beetle replied grimly. "But still, having you in here is much more comforting than you out and about holding half the brood hostage. Dragonfly, you go to Equestria and tell the princesses we're one step closer to finding the missing ponies."

"Yes, sir!" the red Changeling saluted before taking off full speed.

* * *

With Chrysalis' magic out of the picture, the chrysalides encasing her captives began falling apart within a few hours. The stems holding them to the ceiling weakened and snapped, causing the casings to fall to the ground of the cave. Both chrysalides broke apart on impact, leaving Echo and Twilight on the ground, free but soaked in the fluid they were previously floating in. Echo's eyes fully opened with the shock of the fall, and she soon struggled back to her feet.

"Are you alright, Twilight?" she asked softly, approaching the dazed alicorn.

"I... I think so," the Princess of Friendship replied. Her eyes widened upon seeing the other. "If I'm not dreaming that you look like a Bat pony."

"What do you mean?" Echo inquired, looking at herself. She soon discovered her long bat-wings, which - unlike usual Bat ponies - were the color of her coat instead of her mane. Running her tongue over her teeth, she felt her sharp, new fangs. Looking into a puddle of water on the ground, she saw her spiked ears, fangs, and slit eyes. "How..." she breathed, wide-eyed with shock, "how is this possible?"

"I have no idea," Twilight shrugged, shaking the green fluid off of her body. "Not to mention I have no idea where we are." She went up to the upward-facing entrance of the cave. "Anybody out there?!" Twilight hollered outside.

Echo joined the alicorn. "Somebody find us! We're over here!"

* * *

"Any luck up there?" Starlight asked the Pegasi and Bat ponies. They were currently searching the fields surrounding the old Changeling palace, with the fliers up in the air; Spike was riding on Fluttershy's back. The Changelings abandoned the shifting palace soon after their great rebirth, leaving the black structure to fall apart.

"No," Rainbow called back down. "I don't see anyplace where Chrysalis would hide, and we already checked the old Changeling palace."

"I doubt Chrysalis would stay in a place as horrid as this," Rarity remarked from the ground.

"Even so, Chrysalis must've kept Princess Twilight and Echoing Shadow somewhere," Requiem defended. "Perhaps it would be inside a hidden or unsuspecting cave somewhere in this field." He noticed that his brother stopped, hovering the air as his ears twitched in different directions. "Do you hear something, Nocturne?" Requiem asked.

Nocturne pointed his head toward the mountains in the east. "I hear voices in that direction," he replied, "voices that I recognize." Nocturne turned in that direction. "Everypony, follow me!" With that, the Bat pony guard took off, with the others following after him, running and flying top-speed.

After a while of following, Nocturne suddenly dove down to a cave near the foot of the mountain. The entrance to the cave faced upward, meaning that only fliers would be able to get in and out.

"Twilight! Echo! Are you in there?!" Starlight shouted inside.

"Starlight!" Twilight's voice called out. "What a relief that you're here!"

The ponies outside cheered at the fact that they found the missing mares.

"We're coming out now!" Echo's voice yelled. Twilight flew out of the entrance to the cave, with an indigo Bat pony following behind her. Once the two landed, Spike jumped off of Raibow and ran up to hug Twilight. Requiem and Nocturne gasped in awe at the Bat pony with the scarred coat, their hazel-eyes widening.

"Is that you, Echo?" Starlight asked slowly.

The dark-colored mare nodded. "Yes, it's still me. I'm as surprised as you are about the new look," she mused, looking at her new wings.

"You can say that again," Applejack grinned. "These two here are Requiem and Nocturne. They were sent by Princess Luna to help us find you two."

"Awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed, doing a loop-de-loop in the air. "We got another flier for the team!"

"The legend is true," Requiem stated as he and Nocturne slowly approached Echoing Shadow. "You truly are the daughter of Queen Glisten." The two Bat ponies bowed to the surprised Bat alicorn.

"It is an honor to properly meet you," Nocturne intoned, "our lost Bat princess."


	9. Chapter 8

"Bat princess?" Twilight cocked her head. "Is that even a thing? I've never heard of the Bat ponies having any royalty among them."

"Then again, none of us have looked into Bat ponies in general," Spike countered, climbing onto Twilight's back.

"That is because we lost our queen and her daughter years ago," Nocturne explained, turning to Twilight and her friends. "According to a legend, when Queen Glisten had her only daughter, she cast a spell on the newborn to make her look like a normal unicorn. For that very night, Chrysalis and her forces ambushed the Bat Kingdom, taking the life of our fading queen and those of half our fellow Bat ponies. The Changelings cast the disguised Bat princess aside to an orphanage of demons, attempting to condemn her to a slow, painful death."

"But I survived the Nightmare Orphanage," Echo countered, "along with the many other orphans I lived with. A couple of whom were Changelings themselves, who fled their hive despite Chrysalis' most probable reaction. They were only little ones, hatched in the wrong race. I lived my entire life with no memory of my true self, or my true heritage."

"The spell of your mother's magic must've broken while Chrysalis held you captive," Requiem assumed.

"Let's get back, home, guys," Twilight suggested. "We can explain the change to Celestia and Luna when we get back to Canterlot." Her friends nodded in agreement, as did the three Bat ponies.

* * *

When the group was finally back at Canterlot, they all headed straight to the castle. At the doors, they noticed a young red Changeling struggling to get past a couple of stubborn unicorn guards that wouldn't let him into the castle.

"Come on! Let me through!" the young one yelled. "Can't you give a Changeling a break?! I have news from the Changeling Kingdom! I was sent personally by King Thorax!"

"They're probably not letting him go because they don't recognize him," Starlight guessed.

Twilight stepped up to the guards. "Don't worry, you two. Since we're back, we'll bring him with us. So can you please step aside?"

The two guards gave a slight bow to the Princess of Friendship and replied in unison, "Of course, Princess Twilight." The two stepped away, using their magic to open the doors and let the group in, along with the Changeling trotting gratefully beside them.

"Thanks for helping me out back there," the strange Changeling grinned, following them through the corridors. "Those guards didn't believe me when I said I had news from the king. I'm Dragonfly."

"Nice to meet you, Dragonfly," Spike greeted from Twilight's back. "I'm Spike. My friends and I know your new king as a good friend. Those guards kept you out probably because they didn't know you."

"Oh, was that the problem?" Dragonfly asked himself. "Wonder why they didn't just say so."

"The Day-guards at the doors can be a little rude to newcomers," Requiem told Dragonfly. "Don't take it personally. Trust me, the same thing happened to me and my brother Nocturne on our first night on duty."

A few minutes and a few guards later, the group reached the throne room. Celestia and Luna, who were sitting on their respective thrones, looked overjoyed when the group stepped inside.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Twilight," Celestia smiled, gliding down to meet her student.

"But, is that really you, Echo?" Luna asked the indigo Bat pony cautiously as she walked up.

Echo nodded. "I may look different, but I'm still me. Apparently, a legend among the Bat ponies has been proved correct, and this is my true form."

"The Legend of the Bat Princess," Luna recalled, inspecting Echo's wings as if to know for sure that they were real. "I've heard it from some of the other Bat guards. According to the legend, your mother put that masking spell on you for your own safety when Chrysalis ambushed the Bat ponies."

"Speaking of Chrysalis," Dragonfly interrupted, stepping forward, "I was originally sent here personally by King Thorax to bring news to the Princesses from the Changeling Kingdom. I came here about a couple of hours ago, but the guards at the gates wouldn't let me through no matter what I told them. Does that happen to every messenger sent here? I know we gladly welcomed the one you sent to the King."

"Oh dear," Celestia sighed in exasperation. "Please forgive those guards for any trouble they may have caused you. I told them to allow in any Changeling messengers if they came. Apparently they're still rather on edge with the fact that Chrysalis decided to strike again."

"But that's just it! Chrysalis won't be bothering anyone anytime soon," Dragonfly explained. "My younger sisters and I were able to help General Beetle capture Chrysalis when she tried making off with eggs from our hatchery. She's now locked away in the Changeling dungeons, magically disabled and chained down good and tight."

"That's wonderful news," Luna smiled at the red Changeling. "It is good to know for sure that Chrysalis has been captured and secured in a dungeon, even if it's not our own."

"However, I still have my own mystery to solve," Echo spoke up. "I need to know exactly where the Bat Kingdom used to be. Where my mother ruled to the bitter end."

"We can help you with that, Princess Echo," Requiem offered. "Most of us Bat guards know exactly where the Bat Palace once stood."

"Then where is it?" Twilight asked. "And why is it not on any map I've seen?"

"The Bat Kingdom was an obscure one," Nocturne explained. "It was kept hidden somewhere nopony would dare look to far into. The ruins of the Bat Palace lay deep within a place you know well: the Everfree Forest."


	10. Chapter 9

"Ugh!" shuddered Rarity as they approached the shadowy forest neighboring Ponyville. "I thought we didn't have to come back here anymore!"

"Obviously not, Rarity," Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Too bad none of you Bat ponies know exactly where your own palace is, or we would've been there already."

Echo suddenly tensed, her ear twitching. "I hear somepony in there," she breathed. "Somepony calling for help." Nocturne and Requiem both nodded, indicating that they were hearing the same thing.

"Uh-oh," Twilight winced. "Only one pony we know lives in the Everfree Forest. Or, rather, a zebra."

"Zecora," stated everyone except the Bat ponies and little Changeling. Dragonfly had already given the news to his sisters that the message was sent, and was currently with the group.

"Since this Zecora sounds like a friend of yours, we should probably go help her," Echo suggested. Twilight and her friends nodded in agreement, and the group galloped into the shadows. Not far from the large wooden house in the forest, Zecora, covered in Changeling slime that coated her hooves and stretched over her back, was glued to the ground. She was struggling against the green goop, but couldn't get free.

"Friends, you've all come to my aid, to save me from what Chrysalis made," the zebra sighed in relief at Twilight and friends. "When I saw her, I ran to tell, but Chrysalis used her sticky spell." She eyed the Bat ponies and red Changeling. "You, little Changeling, must be a friend; I hope that you, I did not offend."

"No offense taken," Dragonfly waved off, inspecting the slime. He used his power to get rid of the slimy coat over Zecora. Twilight did away with the slime on the zebra mare's hooves.

"So what brings you to Everfree, with a Changeling and those Bat ponies?" Zecora asked curiously.

"We came to find the location of the old Bat Palace," Echo explained.

"I know not where this Bat Palace could be, but I thank you for finding and rescuing me," the zebra mare bowed before heading back inside her home.

"Let's keep trying," Twilight sighed. "We can check out the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. There might be a clue to finding the Bat Palace somewhere in the ruins."

* * *

"You sure we can find the Bat Palace with something here, Twilight?" Echo asked skeptically as they entered the decayed castle.

"Positive," the purple alicorn replied with determination.

"I hope we don't have to deal with anything creepy-crawly," Rarity remarked, tiptoeing around a spider on the carpeted floor while trying extra hard not to panic.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "The place has been abandoned for years, Rarity. Odds are, there will be critters around here."

"I wouldn't mind meeting a little creature," Fluttershy commented.

"The Lunar Wing of the castle is the best place to start looking," Requiem stated.

"The Lunar Wing houses every secret of every nocturnal race, including Bat ponies," Nocturne explained.

"Well then, let's start digging," Starlight suggested cheerfully, heading for the corridor decorated with torn, dark blue banners.

The group split up and started searching the hallway for clues about where the Bat Palace might be. The fliers searched the high walls, windows, and even the ceiling, all accented by patches of ivy and spiderwebs. Echo appeared to have already gotten control of her wings, far sooner than Twilight. Then again, she's always had her wings; she just never knew it until now.

Echo descended to the floor, disappointed that there was no clues about the Bat Palace. Once her hooves touched the floor, a tile sunk a few inches under her hoof. Without warning, a huge trapdoor opened under her; she fell into it with a scream. The trapdoor closed the moment she fell through, and several frightened screams sounded off from above.

"Are you alright, Princess Echo?" Nocturne's voice asked from above.

Echo stood up and shook the dust off herself. "I'm fine!" she shouted. She looked around at the carpeted room she fell into, scattered with pillows. "I just fell through some sort of trapdoor!"

"I remember that happening to me and Fluttershy once," mused Rarity's voice. "Those trapdoors are seemingly all over the castle. I had to stick my horn into a hole in the wall to get us both out."

Echo suddenly spotted a piece of paper under one of the pillows. She moved the faded pillow aside to find a parchment page with writing all over it. Not far away was the hole Rarity was talking about. Echo cautiously inserted her horn into the hole, letting magic flow through it. In mere seconds, the wall opened out into a hallway in response. Removing her horn from the wall, Echo picked up the paper with her magic and went into the hallway. Slightly unnerved by the corridor lined with suits of armor, Echo closed the wall/door behind her and headed for the staircase that was nearby.

"There you are!" Starlight exclaimed as the Bat Princess flew up the staircase.

"We forgot to tell you about the secrets in the castle's design; sorry," Twilight apologized.

Echo waved it off. "No worries; I'm fine. Plus, I found this," she added, showing them the piece of paper. Looking down at the writing, Echo read what was on the paper.

 _"We, the Princess of the Night, have been successful in rescuing the true Bat queen, Twilit Shadow, from a dreadful usurper King. Twilit Shadow returned to rule her race, known as the Bat ponies, in her true palace at the center of the forest Everfree, in which our castle stands at the border. As repayment for our aid, we have now been issued forth a platoon of Bat pony guards. Seeing as our sister has no use for creatures of the dark, we will hereby accept the gift to be our private nocturnal guard. The descendants of these guards will stand under my command under the cover of the starry night. May this proclamation remain preserved until the day of our eternal passing._

 _~ Princess Luna of the Night."_


	11. Chapter 10

"So the queen was Twilight Shadow?" Spike asked, tilting his head.

" _Twilit_ Shadow," Requiem corrected. "Our ancestors called her Queen Twilit. Legend has it she was kidnapped by a power-hungry Bat stallion who usurped the throne. Thankfully, within a fortnight, Princess Luna found the queen and helped her take back her throne."

"But that was at least a thousand years ago," Twilight shrugged. "This proclamation is as ancient as Nightmare Moon. How does this correlate to anything related to the Bat Kingdom?"

"It said that the Bat Palace is in the center of the Everfree Forest, while this castle was on the edge," Echo contemplated. "But since this was written a thousand years ago, the Bat Palace should be where the center of the forest was at the time."

"Well, I've been looking at maps of Equestria from different time periods," Twilight offered. "And according to them, the center of the forest a thousand years ago is a few miles northwest of here."

"But how will we all get there?" Rarity inquired. "Not all of us are fliers, in case you haven't noticed. We'd only slow down the trip."

"No way are we going to try the Butterfly Wings spell," Twilight snapped. "It was hard enough getting it to work only one pony. It would be impossible if I tried it on more than one."

Applejack smiled like a light bulb went off in her head. "I've got an idea..."

* * *

Echo inspected the large, crudely-made wooden chariot that everypony helped to make. It was constructed with long, sturdy branches from the trees, held together with vines and reinforced with hardened Changeling slime from Dragonfly.

"Looks like it just might make the round trip," Echo stated finally. "Good idea, Applejack, having us make this chariot for the non-fliers. Requiem, Nocturne, I'm sure you two can pull the chariot to the Bat Palace?"

"Of course, Princess Echo," Requiem nodded. "As a matter of fact, we were the ones who pulled Princess Luna's chariot on her first Nightmare Night off the moon."

"I was wondering why you two looked familiar," Twilight mused softly.

"Enough chitchat!" Rainbow barked. "We've got a palace to find, everypony! ALL ABOARD!"

Applejack, Starlight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie climbed into the wooden chariot while Spike rode on Twilight's back. Requiem and Nocturne attached the longest branches of the chariot to their armor. The others took to the skies, with the wooden Chariot and Bat guards pulling the chariot airborne behind them.

Echo's eyes swept over the Everfree Forest as the group flew over the trees. True to her words, the wooden chariot held firm as Requiem and Nocturne pulled it through the air.

"The Bat Palace should be around her somewhere," Twilight told her fellow Princess of a different race. "But I can't see anything. Not to mention it'll be getting dark soon."

"I've been able to handle the dark, Twilight," Echo replied. "Now that I'm in my true form, I feel my eyesight has sharpened." Echo's eyes locked on a wafting flag not far ahead, caught in the forest canopy. The edges were tattered, but the midnight blue fabric still had the unmistakable bright blue slit eye and violet flame-like wings, similar to the armor of a Bat guard. Not only that, but some tall, dark-colored towers poked through a huge clearing in the trees: a circle of six spires standing around a massive tower in the center.

"Something tells me that's where the Bat Palace is," Dragonfly mused, looking towards the Bat guards pulling the chariot. "That flag down there has a symbol that looks just like your armor."

Nocturne looked toward the flag, eyes widening. "That _is_ the Bat Palace! We must get down there, Requiem, quickly!"

"You heard him, everypony," Echo called out to the other fliers. "We're right above the Bat Palace, so descend carefully through the dense canopy." Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Requiem and Nocturne nodded, and they all slowly descended into the clearing, finding themselves in an enormous courtyard. The non-fliers climbed out of the chariot to join the others as they gazed in awe at the castle.

The entire structure appeared to be made of dark gray stone, with violet crystal as the roofs of the towers. The alluring, glass windows were clouded with dust; fragments of the crystal roofs and shredded flags and banners lay strewn on the ground of the courtyard. The entire group looked over the Bat Palace in nostalgia, awestruck by the sheerness of the palace's mysterious beauty.

"So, this was where my mother once ruled," Echo breathed, breaking the silence. She quietly walked to the black double doors of the Bat Palace, using her magic to slowly open the large doors. "Come on, everypony," she called softly, "let's see what the inside looks like." The others snapped out of their trance and followed the Bat princess inside.

The Bat Palace's corridors had ceilings just as high as the Castle of the Two Sisters, but not nearly as light-colored; instead, the corridor walls were almost black from the shadows. Seeing the others' unnerved expressions, Echo used her magic to light the torches alternating along the walls. The soft, flickering firelight revealed a huge number of framed paintings of Bat alicorns, radiating power and authority - _Previous queens,_ Echo presumed. As the group continued along the corridor, they noticed how the pictures grew gradually more recent the further they went. Echo also noticed how each queen had two silver rings on each of their legs, with a jewel at the center. The paintings finally stopped at a painting that was the most recent: a Bat alicorn with a blue coat so dark it was almost black. Her silver eyes gleamed under the forelock of her dark purple mane. Her wings were flared as the painting portrayed her in a rearing stance, fangs bared and glittering as much as a white crystal crown on her head. Echo read the name of the Bat alicorn engraved on the bottom of the preserved wooden frame.

"Queen Glistening Shadow," Echo read aloud. "No wonder the paintings end here. That queen... was my mother."


	12. Chapter 11

"So that's what Queen Glisten looked like," Twilight finally spoke, walking to Echo's side. "She really does look like you, Echo; besides the colors."

"Yes, she does look like me," Echo agreed. "But there's something I can't understand about these paintings. All the Bat queens each have a similar crown and set of leg-rings. Not to mention each name has the word 'Shadow' in it: Twilit Shadow, Midnight Shadow, Glistening Shadow, and me, Echoing Shadow."

"That does sound a little weird, now that you mention it," Spike mused, looking at the paintings all over the walls. He flinched when a spider crawled down the wall, the blue star on its back glittering in the torchlight.

Echo followed Spike's gaze to the arachnid on the wall. "I'm guessing it's star-spider season," she assumed, letting the creature crawl onto her wing while setting the other toward the ground. The spider crawled across her back, down her other wing, and peacefully walked away as Echo folded her wings in. "Back at the orphanage, there was always a time of year when those things were all over the building. They never bit anypony, but they ticked off the owners and some of the orphans - Hemlock, for example - to no end." She chuckled at the memory of the red filly constantly trying to get a star-spider off herself, growling in frustration when it kept crawling back up her hooves.

"Sounds like a good laugh whenever it happened," Dragonfly smiled.

"But back to the main issue," Rarity interrupted. "Though I must say that those leg-rings go wonderfully with that crown, I have to agree that it is quite strange that ever single queen depicted in this corridor wears the same accessories."

A piece of paper poked out from under Queen Glisten's painting. Twilight noticed the paper and carefully pulled it out. Holding it with her magic, Twilight read what was written on the white page.

 _"To anypony who finds this under my painting,_

 _I have a terrible feeling that something awful is going to happen to me and my kingdom. Some of the guards have been acting very suspicious, and I feel I can trust no one. Out of worry, I'm casting a masking spell on my little filly, Echoing Shadow, to make it seem that she's not the Bat princess until she's ready. We've already been taking aggressive assaults from Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. I fear she desires to lay waste to the entire Bat Kingdom from the inside out._

 _My darling Echo, if you're reading this, please forgive me for any hardships you may have come across because of my spell. In a hidden compartment in the throne room of the Bat Palace, the enchanted royal crown and rings are hidden away. Our ancestor, Queen Twilit Shadow, enchanted them centuries ago to be the immortal symbols of Bat royalty. But beware, for if anyone of evil intentions desires the throne of the Bat ponies, the powerful magic within the jewels will perform a powerful spell that will do away with the usurper, so as to prevent history from repeating itself._

 _~ Queen Glistening Shadow."_

"Mom," Echo breathed, eyes wide.

"Why would your mother write something like that?" Rainbow asked. "If you Bat ponies already knew the legend, how would a death spell on the crown jewels ensure anyone's safety besides that of the real queen?"

"Perhaps they believed the real royal family would do no evil, but let's worry about that later," Echo waved off. "For now, Let's get to the throne room and find those enchanted royal jewels. I'm sure it's somewhere up ahead."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Starlight spoke up. "Those doors up ahead probably lead to the center of the palace." The group trotted over to the daunting pair of double doors; Twilight and Echo using their magic to open them.

The group was greeted by a throne room decorated with different shades of blue, purple, and gray. The floor was covered in purple carpet that was rolled up in some areas and appeared to have been stomped over and singed in several places. A black crystal throne stood in the center of the back wall, the crystal eye and wings glittering at the top.

"This place could use some restoration, if you ask me," Rarity commented. The windows were evidently stained glass, but only one was still intact: a ghostly form of a Bat alicorn wearing the leg-rings and crown. A small, dusty black box was below the window; it looked like it had been thrown. Echo heard a voice from within the box: _Come to me, Princess of Freedom._

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what? We didn't hear anything," Starlight cocked her head.

"It's coming from that box," Echo breathed, slowly approaching the box. When she touched the metal clasp on the box, it instantly opened. Eight leg-rings and a crown stood out from the black velvet inside. The crown had a violet crystal in the shape of a small flame. Using her magic, Echo slipped the rings onto her legs, one by one, until two were on each leg. She then lifted the crown onto her head, making sure that the violet crystal was facing forward. The crystals on the leg-rings and crown glowed in unison, as if proving that Echo was the true heir.

"So this is who you really are," Twilight remarked.

"If you ask me, royal crowns are suddenly falling left and right," Dragonfly interrupted. "I wonder why the rest of you aren't princesses like them."

"I don't think we'll ever be ready, Dragonfly," Fluttershy replied timidly.

"But since I'm officially a princess now," Echo spoke up, "it feels as if the royal jewels wish to call me 'the Princess of Freedom.'"


	13. Chapter 12

The group returned to Canterlot a little later than they had hoped. Rarity insisted on returning Echo's cape before they left Ponyville. ("It would be a perfect finishing touch," she told them.) Despite being irritated by the matter, the others relented, knowing there was no stopping her. Twilight brought along Princess Luna's procalmation and Queen Glisten's letter in her saddlebag. Once Rarity gave back the cape, they all took the train to Canterlot.

It wasn't much of a surprise to see two more Changelings arguing with the guards at the doors.

"Tell us where our brother is, you heartless guards! We want to know what happened to Dragonfly!" yelled the bigger one. Her bristling, blue wings were flared over her jade-colored skin in anger as she hissed at the guards.

"Damselfly, that doesn't seem to be helping any," the smaller one soothed. The young female seemed to be using her striped wings to support her spindly legs and body, showing her greenish-yellow skin.

"Damselfly! Crane Fly!" Dragonfly exclaimed, running up to his sisters.

"Dragonfly!" the other two cried out in unison, rushing to greet their older brother.

"So these two are your sisters, Dragonfly?" Celestia's voice emerged as she and Luna came out. The guards stepped aside to make way for the alicorns.

"Yup," the red Changeling nodded. "This is Damselfly, and this is Crane Fly," he grinned, pointing at his siblings respectively.

"I'm quite pleased to meet you two," Celestia smiled before frowning, "and very sorry about the guards." The guards both kept a straight face, but the look in their eyes made it clear that they were regretting their behavior.

"Please, come in," Luna smiled, leading the group inside. "Nocturne and Requiem, you two can return to your posts."

The Bat guards saluted in reply before flying off in another direction.

"I am quite impressed at your findings," mused the sun princess as she and her sister read the papers Twilight brought to them in the throne room.

"I must've forgotten about writing that proclamation," Luna presumed after seeing her writing. "Then again, it has been a millenium. Even so, I'm quite glad that you have truly claimed your rightful place in your kingdom, Echo."

"That may be, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a real queen," Echo hesitated. "Everything's been happening so fast, and I've barely had time to adjust. I would rather remain as a princess, at least until I know that I'm ready."

"That sounds like a good idea, Echo," Celestia replied, laying her hoof on the Bat princess' shoulder. "Take all the time you need."

"Now it's time to celebrate!" Pinkie Pie grinned. "Time to plan the Return-of-the-Bat-Princess-Waiting-to-Adjust-as-Queen Party!" She pulled a party cannon out of nowhere and shot a bout of confetti.

Luna chuckled. "It would be nice to have a proper ceremony for your coronation. I have no doubt in my mind that the other Bat ponies will want to see it. I am also sure your orphan friends will be there."

Echo smiled, nodding happily. Soon, the many orphans she cared for will see her in her true form.

"Oh my, what have we here?" a new voice emerged as a gray-and-brown draconequus appeared. "It appears that we have a new princess in Equestria. How lovely to meet you, miss. Do you mind if I take a picture to celebrate?" With a snap of his fingers, a camera appeared in his eagle-claw, which he held in front of Echo and his grinning face and snapped the picture. "And your a Bat pony; fancy that! I've never seen a real royal Bat pony before in my entire life, as I've been basically petrified for a millenium. What's it like, having all that jewelry?" he asked, eyeing Echo's spiked ears, leg-rings, and crown.

"Who's this rando?" Echo asked Twilight and her friends as she rubbed her eyes from the flash.

The creature froze with a deadpan face.

"That's Discord," Fluttershy introduced. "He's a draconequus that uses Chaos magic. That would explain the camera; sorry, Echo."

"Fluttershy!" Discord grinned, taking the yellow mare by the hooves and swinging her in circles. "I was getting so worried when you weren't home when I came to visit. I looked all over Ponyville _and_ Canterlot, but thank goodness you're safe. That also goes for you, too, Twilight; and this Echo as well."

"We've heard about you from King Thorax," Dragonfly stated, looking up at Discord with his sisters. "You were one of the ponies that helped dethrone Chrysalis."

"Well, I'm glad my name is known among you little ones," Discord smiled, letting Fluttershy go and tapping Damselfly on the nose.

The response was a pair of jaws on his finger.

"Ouch!" he yelped, holding up his finger with Damselfly still clamped on. "You're a feisty one," he mused, his smile contorting in pain. Damselfly let go of his finger, hissing as she descended back to her siblings. The Spirit of Chaos stuck his aching finger into his mouth instinctively.

"No touching!" the Changeling snarled.

"What? Did I pull a red card?" Discord asked, holding a red card in his lion paw.

Dragonfly shrugged. "That would be my guess. Damselfly has a lot of boundaries, and hates it when somepony else touches her, for any reason."

"Are you _explaining_ me _again_ , Dragonfly?" the middle sibling demanded. "You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Damselfly, not now," Crane Fly warned.

Damselfly hissed quietly and grudgingly stepped back, ears laid flat against her head.

"Hmm, the Changeling bite is only a minor issue," Discord shrugged, wrapping bandages over his finger. "But I'm sure that there will be a simply marvelous celebration soon enough! I can hardly wait for some of Pinkie Pie's delectable Devil's Food cake that she most likely will bake for the party." He squeezed Echo, Twilight, and her friends in a giant hug.

"Just roll with it, Echo," Twilight muttered to her Bat friend. "It's been a while, and I still haven't quite gotten used to him yet."

* * *

The rest of that day and the next was mostly spent restoring the Bat Palace, with Luna and her Bat ponies joining the group. Most of the work was spent getting the carpet back in place, cleaning and fixing the windows, and mending a number of torn tapestries, banners, and flags. The Changeling siblings helped clean up any brittle Changeling slime that was still in some of the rooms and corridors. To them, it was the least they could do after all Chrysalis has done to the Bat ponies. It took a couple of days - and a few restoration spells from Echo, Twilight, Starlight, and Luna - to return the castle's structure to its former glory. Rarity made quick work out of mending the tattered fabrics, - even making some banners with Echo's cutie mark - while the others dusted off and polished the interior.

Once the Bat Palace was fully restored, everypony had to agree that it looked much better. Some of the Bat guards even said it was just like how they remembered it.

"I was quite impressed by all the paintings of the Bat queens," Luna admitted. "It's unbelievable , seeing the queens that span the thousand years I've been gone."

"We were all rather awestruck at seeing the legacy," Echo confessed. "But who wouldn't be, seeing such a long-living heritage?"

Luna nodded in agreement with her fellow nocturnal princess. "At least now the Bat Palace has been restored to what it was. Honestly, I'm very proud of all our hard work."

"Now it's time to prepare for the party!" grinned Pinkie Pie. "I'm pretty sure that Mr. and Mrs. Cake have brought out the cake I made a while ago. I'd better pick it up; gotta run!" The pink mare dashed out of the Palace and down the trail that was made to lead to Ponyville.

"I must say that this place is rather drab for a palace," Discord mused. "Especially with all the gray and black and other night-related colors. Rather gothic, don't you think?"

"It _is_ supposed to be a palace for nocturnal creatures, Discord," Starlight defended.

"The color scheme is only natural for us Bat ponies," Echo added.

"Even so, the majority of us are rainbows compared to this place," Discord countered, forming a rainbow between his paw and claw. "I'm sure a little Chaos Magic will help the lack of color."

"Don't even think about it," Twilight glowered at the draconequus.

"That wouldn't be very nice," Fluttershy reprimanded the Chaos being.

"Oh, if you insist," Discord groaned in reluctance. "I will remain a bystander. But only for Fluttershy."

* * *

A few hours after sundown, the throne hall was full of ponies.

Orphans lined one side of the hall in a mass of different colored fillies and little colts. Young Bat ponies lined the other side as a group of darker-colored little ones that were as rambunctious as the orphans. Luna and Twilight stood on the dais on which the throne stood, on either side of the throne itself, each wearing their finest evening dresses to fit in with the nocturnal Bat Palace. Dragonfly, Damselfly, Crane Fly, and Thorax stood to the side, as well as Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Twilight's friends.

"Tonight, we have been gathered for a long-awaited celebration," Luna began. "It all began with a young filly that was disguised and sent from her kingdom to be saved from her enemy. Though that mare has suffered many hardships throughout her days ever since, she has returned to her true form and saved a commendable number of little ones from those same hardships. And now, the Bat Princess shall show her true self for the first time in her life. Fillies and gentlecolts, I present to you, the Princess of Freedom: Echoing Shadow."

With an opening of the doors, Echo came striding in, wings open. Her fur-lined cape was now patterned with the bright indigo eye and wings of the Bat ponies, embroidered with silver stars around it. Behind her followed four dark blue Bat mares, each carrying a waving banner of Echo's cutie mark, and four dark gray Bat guards that all sang in her arrival.

 _"Hail, our Princess Echo arrives._

 _"Behold, behold._

 _"Lost Bat Princess, home and alive..."_

 _"Behold..."_

The procession of Bat ponies stopped at the front of the crowd, continuing to sing. In greeting, Echo touched the tip of her horn to that of Twilight, and then to that of Luna. Standing between her fellow princesses, Echo used her magic to make the royal jewels and the bright chandeliers above to glow the color of her magic.

"For a long time," Echo began, "I lived as nothing more than a motherly pony to all the orphans I lived alongside. I was a kind mare with a dark past, who didn't even know what I truly was for most of my life. I may not be ready to be the next Queen of the Bat ponies quite yet, but for now, I can stand here and say that I'm proud of who I am, what I've done, and all that I've come to be. I can say 'You're welcome' to my darling fellow orphans. And, to everypony I've met and lived alongside, 'Thank you.'"

The crowd cheered in celebration as Echo looked nostalgically at the ponies below her. _I may not be the queen you were, Mom,_ she thought with a serene smile, _but I will be the best pony and Bat alicorn I can be._

 _But, I'm pretty sure that I'm closer to that than I realize._

She thought she almost heard a reply, _**Indeed, Echo, you are.**_


	14. Author's Note

Hey there, everypony! Just letting you guys know that **My Echo, My Shadow** now has a sequel. That's right, a sequel. So check out my profile and look for the story **Echoes in Our Minds** if you're interested in seeing the Bat Princess again. I hope you guys like it!


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